Flue cleaner



April 22 1924.

M, wlsEMAN FLUE CLEANER Filed June 4, 1923 |nvenToT. Michael Wiseman bym @www Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

uiten STATES `MICHAEL WISEMAN', OF SOUTH B-OSYTQN, VMAS*SACI-IUSIETTS.

FLUE CLEANER.

Application filed .Tune 4,

' to provide such a iiue cleaner which has a guiding portion for centering the cleaner within the flue'and which has the Aparts so arranged that the cleaner willnot stick in the Hue.

In flue cleaners of this general type a plurality of arms radiates from a central shaft or bar and cut the incrustation from the walls of the fiue both on the forward and on the rearward stroke of the cleaner. With this construction, however, the reararms are quite likely to engage with the portions of the incrustation which Acan not be easily dislodged or should the head ofthe cleaner be accidentally7 forced entirely7 through the Hue and into the steam space between the end of the flue and the wall of the boiler, the rear arms catch over the inner end of the tube with the result that the cleaner can not be removed therefrom. In the flue cleaner which forms the subject'matter of my invention I provide the cleaner with rearwardly extending portions which embrace the bar at their ends so thatthe cleaner does not stick in the flue and bulge between their ends and the point at which they are fastened to the bar to form a guide to center the cleaner within the flue. I also form shoulders on the bar adjacent which lie the ends of the rearwardly extending portions of the cleaner thus forming a smooth surface leading up to the bulge to prevent the cleaner sticking within the flue.

Other objects and features of the iiiveiition will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel fea- 1923. Serial NQ. 343,254.

tures will be claims.

`In the drawings:

pointed out in theappended in the flueA`V the flue being shownin section ;V,

F ig. 2 is a section through the cleaner and fiue on the line 2 2, F ig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectioiron the line Fig. 4 is arsection of a portion of the clean@ er showing Oneway in `which the parts may be .arranged to give a smooth surface leading from the bar up to `the cleaner.

PATENT orifice( c YIig. l is an elevation of the cleaner with-- As illustrated l herein the lflue cleaner which forms the subjectrmatterrof the present inventionis provided with a b'odypcomprising a body bar 1 on which are mounted spring arms 2 presenting flared forwardly extending portions V3 having l sharpened scraping edges 4 for engaging the wallsof Vthe flue 5 and cutting the incrustation there from.- For centering the cleaner within the fiue the springarins have rearwardly eX tending portions@ embracing the body barl at their ends and bulging at 8 between the jeiid's' andthe point 9 at which the arms are fastened to the bar. fTo enable the; cleaner to. be used iii long flues an vextent'ioirbar l() may be fastenedto the body bar 1. )The sides 1 of the bulging portions are spacedl slightly from thewallsof the nue but are'close enough thereto to form a guide forV the cleaner when inserted in the flue. sii-ability ot' the guiding effect of the bulging portions is very apparent whenthe cleaner is just being started in a flue or is used to clean a longl flue in which, when the body of the cleaner is near the inner end of the flue and the extension bar l() bends under its weight to force the upper scraping edges against the wall of the flue, the bulging iortions rest on the bottom of the flue to prevent the scraping edges being presented to the wall of the iue at such an angle that they cut into the wall.

In F ig. 4 the body bar is'shown with shoulders l1 formed thereon and the ends 7 of the rearwardly extending portions of the spring arms are situated adjacent the shoulders to form a smooth surface leading up The deto the bulge to )revent the cleaner stickiner 01"' the cleaner the scale which is dislodged from the wall of the iue by the scrap-ing edges e, and has at the rear end means for interlocking with the extension bar. Although the two bars may be interlocked in any suitable manner I prefer to cut the body bar and extension bar part way through and provide the ends of the bars with bevelled faces la and l5 extending en* tirely across the bars to hold them in line. The bars are held together by means of a bolt 16. The interlocking portions of both bars bulge as shown at 17T Fig. 1,'so that should the head of `the bar and the interlocking portion both pass the inner end of the flue the entire assembly of the cleaner and the extension bar may be turned sideways so that the bulge portion will ride over the inner end of the flue and prevent the cleaner from sticking in the iiue by the bolt 16 catching on the inner end of the flue.

The flue cleaner and extension bar may Y be made of any suitable material but I p-refer to make both the body bar and the eX- tension bar of a cheap but strong grade of iron and the spring arms of a metal such as steel which has a spring to it but which will reta-in a. sharp edge on the scraping edges although the cleaner is subjected to rough use. The entire assembly must be of rugged construction and may be made in different sizes according to the size of the lines in which the cleaners are to be used.

VAAlthough some particular and preferred forms of construction have been described modifications may be made and the invention is to be construed as broadly as the limitations in Ithe claims, taken in conjunc tion With the prior art, may allow.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Let-ters Patent is:

l. A flue cleaner comprising a bar, spring arms mounted on the bar presenting flared Jiorwardly extending portions having shar Vened scraping edges for engaging the wal s of the flue and cutting the incrustation therefrom, and rearwardly extending portions embracing the bar at their ends and bulgingI between thel ends and the point at which the arms are Jfastened to the bar to form a guide for the cleaner when inserted in the flue.

2. flue cleaner provided with a body comprising a body bar with a head at one end and means at the other end for interlocking with an extension bar, springarms mounted on the bar presenting iared portions extending beyond the enlarged head.

having sharpened scraping edges for engaging the walls of the flue and cutting the incrustation therefrom, and rearwardly extending portions embracing the shaft at their ends and bulging between the ends and the point at which the arms are fastened to the bar to form' a guide for the cleaner when inserted in the Hue, and an extension bar to interlock with the body bar to provide a handle for the cleaner.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speciiication.

MICHAEL VVISEMAN. 

